The 50 most-cited articles in Organic Letters, 2022

An efficient and inexpensive protocol for the direct decarboxylative fluorination of aliphatic carboxylic acids catalyzed with iron salts under visible light is presented. This new method allows the facile fluorination of a diverse array of carboxylic acids even on gram scale using a Schlenk flask without loss of efficiency. Mechanistic studies suggest that the photoinduced ligand-to-metal charge transfer process enables the generation of the key step to generate the carboxyl radical intermediates.

We report an alkoxy radical process for the C–C bond cleavage and functionalization of unstrained tertiary and secondary cyclic alcohols. In the absence of a chlorine atom, the readily available iron catalysts [Fe(OBu- t ) 3 or Fe(acac) 3 / t -BuONa] facilitate alkoxy radical formation via the direct ligand-to-metal charge transfer of Fe alkoxide and further enable the ring opening and amination of cyclic alcohols. The remote amino carbonyl compounds could be obtained with a broad scope in up to excellent yields under the mildly redox-neutral system. Light-driven electron transfer, alkoxy radical formation, and subsequent C–C bond cleavage via β-scission were the keys to the transformation.

A wide range of aryl boronic 1,1,2,2-tetraethylethylene glycol esters [ArB(Epin)s] were readily synthesized. Purifying aryl boronic esters by conventional silica gel chromatography is generally challenging; however, these introduced derivatives are easily purified on silica gel and isolated in excellent yields. We subjected the purified ArB(Epin) to Suzuki-Miyaura couplings, which provided higher yields of the desired biaryl products than those obtained using the corresponding aryl boronic acids or pinacol esters.

Bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes have become increasingly popular building blocks in medicinal chemistry as bridged scaffolds that provide unexplored chemical space. We herein report a visible light-driven approach to these compounds that relies on an intramolecular crossed [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of styrene derivatives enabled by triplet energy transfer. Bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes were obtained in good to high yields (19 examples, 61%-quantitative yield) and allowed for further functionalizations by consecutive reactions, thereby opening different pathways to decorate the aliphatic core structure.

Herein, we report the development of the photocatalytic C-H functionalization of methane, ethane, and heavier gaseous alkanes with good yields and selectivity, broad scope (57 examples), mild conditions, and low cost. Kinetics and density functional theory calculations were investigated for the key photoinduced ligand-to-metal charge transfer and hydrogen atom transfer processes to reveal the detailed mechanism of iron photocatalysis. This work may bring novel ideas for feedstock upgrading and catalyst design.

and thianthrenium salts is achieved, providing diverse β-keto sulfones in moderate to good yields. This protocol features easily accessible starting materials and good functional group compatibility, enabling the introduction of various functionalized sulfonyl groups into ketones. Furthermore, as one of the important industrial raw materials, methanol can be employed as the methyl source to prepare α-methylsulfonated ketones through a methyl thianthrenium intermediate for the first time.

We describe a catalytic strategy for direct single C(sp 3 )–F bond alkylation of trifluoromethylbenzimidazoles under a photoinduced thiol catalysis process. The CO 2 radical anion (CO 2 •– ) proved to be the most efficient single-electron reductant to realize such a transformation. The spin-center shift of the generated radical anion intermediate is the key step in realizing C–F bond activation under mild conditions with high efficiency.

A direct alkoxycarbonylation/cyclization reaction is accomplished under visible light-induced photoredox catalysis. With this approach, a variety of ester-substituted indolo[2,1- a ]isoquinolines are prepared in good to excellent yields. It is worth noting that this method not only can afford the synthesis of indolo[2,1- a ]isoquinolines but also can provide an alternative route for generating complex target structures bearing carboxylic esters.

We report herein that copper(I) catalysis using a bis(phosphine) dioxide ligand can catalyze the desymmetric C-H arylation of prochiral bipyrroles. More than 50 nitrogen-nitrogen atropisomers were achieved in good to excellent yields with excellent enantioselectivities (≤97% yield, ≤98% ee). The reaction proceeds under mild conditions with good functional group compatibility on arenes and diaryliodonium salts. Moreover, this principle enables iterative arylation of the bipyrroles to enantioselectively arylate different positions during the catalysis of copper.

Acyl bicyclobutanes are shown to engage in strain-promoted cycloaddition reactions with a diverse array of triazolinedione reagents. The synthesis of an orthogonally protected urazole building block enabled the facile preparation of amino acid- and peptide-derived triazolinediones that undergo cycloaddition reactions to afford novel peptide conjugates. The additive-free and fully atom-economical nature of the transformation is a promising starting point for the generalization of this cycloaddition reaction for the functionalization of biomolecules.

Sulfonyl fluorides are useful building blocks in a wide array of fields. Herein, we report a catalytic decarboxylative fluorosulfonylation approach for converting abundant aliphatic carboxylic acids to the corresponding sulfonyl fluorides. This transformation is enabled by simple preactivation as aldoxime esters and energy-transfer-mediated photocatalysis. This operationally simple method proceeds with high functional-group tolerance under mild and redox-neutral conditions.

A nickel-catalyzed benzylic substitution of secondary phosphine oxide was described, affording the dialkylated P-stereogenic tertiary phosphine oxides with high to excellent enantioselectivities. The reaction was performed under mild conditions with commercially available benzyl chlorides and bench stable secondary phosphine oxides, exhibiting broad functional group tolerance. It represented a practical example for the preparation of P-stereogenic phosphine compounds.

Stable organic radicals with unique luminescence show great importance in photoelectromagnetic materials. We herein report two unusual radical-based systems ( P5N-TTM and P5B-TTM ) using the concerted effects of planar chiral pillar[5]arenes and tris(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl ( TTM ) radicals. The steric effect and electronic doublet-spin character of these radicals allowed the optical resolution and the first red emissions (∼650 nm) for pillar[5]arene derivatives. Notably, cross-coupling with macrocyclic pillar[5]arene, in turn, considerably enhanced the configurational stability of TTM radicals.

An environmentally friendly strategy for the photocatalyzed three-component reaction between quinoxalinones, alkenes, and hypervalent iodine(III) reagents is disclosed. The new designed difluoroiodane(III) reagent shows excellent reactivity, providing a wide range of difluoroalkyl-substituted quinoxaline-2(1 H )-ones in moderate to excellent yields under mild conditions. Experimental studies demonstrated that a difluoroalkyl radical intermediate was involved in this reaction.

Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of 3-acyl and -allyl indoles has been realized by merging nucleophilic cyclization of ortho -alkynylanilines with ring opening of three-membered rings such as cyclopropenones and gem -difluorinated cyclopropanes. These functionalized indoles were obtained in moderate to high yields with high stereoselectivity in both cases. This protocol provides an alternative method toward functionalized indoles under mild and redox-neutral conditions.

A new tool, ML- J -DP4, provides an efficient and accurate method for determining the most likely structure of complex molecules within minutes using standard computational resources. The workflow involves combining fast Karplus-type J calculations with NMR chemical shifts predictions at the cheapest HF/STO-3G level enhanced using machine learning (ML), all embedded in the J -DP4 formalism. Our ML provides accurate predictions, which compare favorably alongside with other ML methods.

Herein, we report a facile, efficient, and practical protocol that enables the preparation of aryl xanthates and aryl dithiocarbamates from functionalized dibenzothiophenium salts via a photoactivated electron donor-acceptor complex. This mild, metal-free method is operationally simple and has a broad substrate scope and potential utility for late-stage functionalization of natural products and pharmaceuticals. Finally, this method also has redefined the substrate scope and reaction pathway for the Leuckart thiophenol reaction.

A practical method for the synthesis of 2,2-difluorinated 2,3-dihydrofurans has been established via the [4 + 1] annulation of enaminones and BrCF 2 CO 2 Et with Na 2 CO 3 promotion. This new protocol does not employ any transition metal reagent and enables the annulative difluoromethylation by the partial cleavage of the C═C double bond. In addition, the further treatment with hydrochloric acid in one pot leads to β-keto enoic acids (4-oxo-2-butenoic acids) via a formal enaminone C–N carboxylation.

A novel visible-light-catalyzed tandem radical addition/1,5-hydrogen atom transfer/cyclization cascade of 2-alkynylarylethers with sulfonyl chlorides in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran was developed under photocatalyst- and additive-free conditions. This reaction relies on unique energy transfer and solvent-radical relay strategies to generate sulfonyl radicals for the preparation of a series of sulfonyl-functionalized dihydrobenzofurans in moderate to high yields catalyzed by visible light or solar radiation.

We report an efficient strategy that combines organic photoredox and hydrogen atom transfer to deliver gem- difluoroallylsilanes via defluorinative silylation of α-trifluoromethylstyrenes using hydrosilanes as silicon sources. This protocol provides an environmentally friendly approach for the preparation of structurally diverse gem -difluoroallylsilanes with excellent functional group compatibility and renders it suitable for late-stage modification of bioactive and complex molecules.

The direct cross-couplings of aryl sulfonium salts with aryl halides could be achieved by using nickel as a reaction catalyst. The reactions proceeded efficiently via C-S bond activation in the presence of magnesium turnings and lithium chloride in THF at ambient temperature to afford the corresponding biaryls in moderate to good yields, potentially serving as an attractive alternative to conventional cross-coupling reactions employing preprepared organometallic reagents.

-silyl sulfinylamine reagent allows the rapid preparation of a broad range of (hetero)aryl, alkenyl, and alkyl primary sulfinamides, using Grignard, organolithium, or organozinc reagents to introduce the carbon fragment. Treatment of these primary sulfinamides with an amine in the presence of a hypervalent iodine reagent leads directly to NH-sulfonimidamides. This two-step sequence is straightforward to perform and provides a modular approach to sulfonimidamides, allowing ready variation of both reaction components, including primary and secondary amines.

Despite the sophistication of C–H functionalization as one of the most powerful tools in organic synthesis, methodology for performing hydrogen-atom transfer of unactivated alkanes remains rather scarce. Herein, we describe chlorine radical-catalyzed C(sp 3 )–H photoalkylation using titanium(IV) chloride via a ligand-to-metal charge transfer process. Enabled by the unique properties of this abundant metal salt, the reaction not only effected the coupling of various alkanes with radical acceptors but also was shown to be applicable to direct photoalkylation of aromatic ketones.

)-S cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodides and arylsulfonyl hydrazides under ligand-enabled, Au(I)/Au(III) redox catalysis. This strategy operates under mild reaction conditions, requires no prefunctionalized aryl coupling partner, and works across several aryl iodides. The utility of this protocol is highlighted through the synthesis of various medicinally relevant biaryl sulfones. The reaction mechanism is supported with control experiments, mass spectrometry, and NMR studies.

The synthesis of paracetamol still relies on multistep protocols involving the utilization of a stoichiometric amount of oxidizing/reducing or other corrosive agents. Herein we report a regioselective electrochemical Ritter-type reaction at the C(sp 2 )–H of unprotected phenol toward the environmentally benign and direct synthesis of paracetamol. The reaction proceeds under exogenous oxidant- and catalyst-free conditions. The protocol is scalable, can be deployed to a variety of phenols, and offers a sustainable alternative for the synthesis of paracetamol.

We disclosed herein a straightforward photochemical method for the construction of phenanthridines containing a synthetically useful succinate unit. The reaction occurred under visible-light irradiation with cheap eosin Y Na as photoredox catalyst and a diazo compound as the succinate precursor. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a wide range of phenanthridines were obtained in moderate to good yields. Note that the succinate units in the final heterocycles could be easily transformed into many valuable structures, such as γ-butyrolactone, dihydrofuran-2(3 H )-one, and tetrahydrofuran. Mechanistic experiments were performed to support the proposed mechanism.

A general and mild strategy involving three-component carboarylation of unactivated alkenes with protic C(sp 3 )–H feedstocks via photoredox catalysis was reported. This catalytic system is compatible with a broad range of unactivated alkenes, cyano-substituted arenes, and diverse protic C(sp 3 )–H feedstocks. The synthetic value of this protocol was demonstrated by the late-stage functionalization of complex molecules and the synthesis of the antiallergies including pheniramine, chlorpheniramine, and brompheniramine.

Thiolation of carboxylic acids using a disulfide reagent having tetrafluoropyridinyl groups is described. The light-mediated process is performed using an acridine-type photocatalyst. Primary, secondary, tertiary, and heteroatom-substituted carboxylic acids can be thiolated, and the method can be applied to the late-stage modification of a range of naturally occurring compounds and drugs. The fluorinated pyridine fragment is believed to enable the C-S bond formation. The resulting sulfides were used as redox-active radical precursors.

Synthesis of spiro[benzo[ d ][1,3]oxazine-4,4′-isoquinoline]s through a unique [4+1+1] annulation of N -aryl amidines with diazo homophthalimides and O 2 is presented. This unprecedented spirocyclization reaction features readily obtainable substrates, structurally and pharmaceutically attractive products, a cost-free and clean oxygen source, sustainable reaction medium, tolerance of a broad spectrum of functional groups, and an interesting reaction mechanism based on sequential C(sp 2 )–H/C(sp 3 )–H bond cleavage and oxygen insertion.

A highly modular 1,4-difunctionalization of 1,3-dienes with bromodifluoroacetamides and sulfinates/amines through a photoinduced palladium-catalyzed radical relay process is described herein. This developed protocol offers a facile and general route to access a variety of value-added CF 2 -incorporated alkenes in moderate to good yields. The versatility and flexibility of this approach have been well illustrated by readily accessible starting materials, synthetic convenience, and wide functional group compatibility.

gem -Difluoroalkenyl boronates are attractive synthons for constructing diverse gem -difluoroalkenes and organoboron compounds. However, the strategies for the construction of gem -difluorohomoallyl boronates has scarcely been described. Herein, we develop an efficient protocol for the construction of gem -difluorohomoallylic boronates through a Ni-catalyzed radical-promoted defluoroalkylborylation of α-trifluoromethyl alkenes with α-haloboronates under mild conditions. This reaction features a broad substrate scope with good functional group tolerance and diverse transformations.

We report the synthesis of aryl boronic esters and aryl phosphonate esters promoted by visible-light in the absence of transition-metals or photoredox catalysts. The transformation proceeds at room temperature using sodium hydride, as a non-nucleophilic base, and exhibits functional group tolerance for anilines, amides, and esters. UV-vis spectroscopy, radical trapping experiments, and computational (TD-DFT) calculations suggest an electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) complex between solvent anions and aryl halides as the species responsible for this reactivity.

Direct electrocarboxylation of various N -acylimines with atmospheric CO 2 is achieved in an undivided cell under mild conditions, affording substituted α-amino acids in yields of 62–95%. This reaction is conducted with high efficiency using triethanolamine as an external reductant under nonsacrificial anode conditions, and can be facilely performed on gram scale. Preliminary mechanistic studies including cyclic voltammetry and control experiments support N -radical carbanion as the key intermediate.

In this report, we identify xanthate salts as a unique class of visible-light-excitable alkyl radical precursors that act simultaneously as strong photoreductants and alkyl radical sources. Upon direct photoexcitation of xanthate anions, efficient deoxygenative alkenylation and alkylation of a wide range of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols have been achieved via a one-pot protocol, avoiding any photocatalysts. This method exhibits a broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance, enabling late-stage functionalization of complex molecules.

Reported herein is the efficient and atroposelective construction of two categories of C-N atropisomers via rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H activation of sulfoxonium ylides en route to [4+2] annulation with sterically hindered, electron-rich alkynes. This reaction proceeds with high regio- and enantioselectivity under redox-neutral conditions via a double-substrate activation strategy, providing a novel entry to C-N axially chiral 4-functionalized 1-naphthols.

An attractive, versatile, and operationally simple, visible-light-induced, transition-metal-free, photocatalyst-free, and oxidant-free trifluoromethylation has been demonstrated. Triflic anhydride (Tf 2 O), being inexpensive and readily available, was chosen as the radical trifluoromethyl source. Thianthrene was used as a recyclable Tf 2 O-activating reagent, and a high-yielding and scalable trifluoromethylation reaction was achieved. Density functional theory and mechanistic studies showed that a free radical homolytic process excited by visible light is involved in this reaction, generating a key trifluoromethyl radical intermediate.

A powerful and environmentally friendly electrochemical manganese-promoted free radical selenylation reaction between boronic acids and diselenide reagents was established. This electrochemical protocol provides a practically applicable way to a series of valuable organoselenium compounds with the use of easy available materials. Mechanistic experiments implied that the seleno-radical formed via direct or indirect electrochemical oxidation of diselenide may be involved as a key species in this transformation.

A novel strategy of copper-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective hydrosilylation of 4-substituted vinylidenecyclohexanes with silanes was developed. In this protocol, various allenes and silanes were used to afford the corresponding (cyclohexylidene)ethyl silanes in moderate to high yields with good enantioselectivities.

1-Acryloyl-2-cyanoindoles were found to be novel and efficient skeletons in visible-light-induced persulfate-promoted cascade cyclization reactions. With this transition-metal-free photocatalytic procedure, various sulfonated/thiocyanated pyrrolo[1,2- a ]indolediones were synthesized from 1-acryloyl-2-cyanoindoles with sulfonyl hydrazides/NH 4 SCN at room temperature under mild reaction conditions.

A novel and simple organoselenium-involved 7-membered cyclization to access diverse seleno-benzo[ b ]azepines has been developed. This protocol involves an electrophilic cyclization process and is accomplished under mild conditions. Discussion of the mechanism rationalizes the regioselectivity observed in transformation. The studies of further transformation of seleno-benzo[ b ]azepines and large-scale experiment reveal the promising utility of this methodology.

An inimitable illustration of the green-light-induced synthesis of thio-functionalized pyrroles has been established using β-ketodinitriles and thiophenols as the reacting partners and eosin Y as the photocatalyst. Large-scale synthesis and some useful synthetic modifications of the thio-functionalized pyrroles are also demonstrated.

-fluorocarboxamide-directed N-heterocyclic-carbene (NHC)-catalyzed benzylic C-H acylation with aldehydes via the hydrogen atom transfer strategy is disclosed. This transformation involves a sequence of single-electron transfer, 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer, and radical cross-coupling steps. This method offers facile access to various highly functionalized ketones and exhibits good chemical yields and functional group tolerance.

The photocatalyst-free electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex photochemistry was deemed to expand the potential of photodriven radical chemistry. Here, we report a cross-coupling reaction of thianthrenium salt functionalized arenes and sodium sulfinates via a photopromoted single electron transfer (SET) process of an EDA complex. A series of biarylsulfones were obtained with high site-selectivity and reactivity. This mild and practical radical reaction could be applied on the bioactive and DNA-encoded molecules.

A ruthenium-catalyzed peri -selective C–H activation and annulation of 1-naphthols with CF 3 -substituted imidoyl sulfoxonium ylides that uses hydroxyl as a weakly coordinating directing group is disclosed. The strategy provides a facile and practical route to diverse trifluoromethyl-containing 2,3-dihydrobenzo[ de ]chromen-2-amines with high efficiency. Notable advantages of this protocol include readily available materials, excellent regioselectivity, good functional group compatibility, and scalability.

Chevalinulins A ( 1 ) and B ( 2 ), two indole diketopiperazine alkaloids containing an unprecedented spiro[bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-diketopiperazine] skeleton, together with a known analogue neoechinulin B ( 3 ), were isolated from the deep-sea cold-seep-derived fungus Aspergillus chevalieri CS-122. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, specific rotation (SR), and NMR calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited significant in vivo proangiogenic activity in transgenic zebrafish.

The C-S bond formation from aryl halides and thiols has been well established under various catalytic systems. In this work, user-friendly sulfinates have been exploited as an efficient sulfenylating reagent in the C-S couplings through visible-light-induced photo/nickel dual catalysis under base- and external reductant-free conditions. A large number of aryl sulfide products were accessed with high selectivity and high tolerance of various functionalities.

Reductive cross-coupling provides facile access to organogermanes, but it remains largely unexplored. Herein we report a nickel-catalyzed reductive Csp 3 –Ge coupling of alkyl bromides with chlorogermanes. This work has established a new method for producing alkylgermanes. The reaction proceeds under very mild conditions and tolerates various functionalities including ether, alcohol, alkene, nitrile, amine, ester, phosphonates, amides, ketone, and aldehyde. The application of this method to the modification of bioactive molecules is demonstrated.

CO 2 is an important C1 resource. We report a method for the synthesis of pharmacologically active 2-oxazolidinones by reacting CO 2 with allylic amines. As opposed to previous addition reactions, the unsaturated double bonds are preserved. Thus, the product is more plastic and easier to use for subsequent structural modification. Furthermore, this method can also be applied to the synthesis of six-membered heterocycles (1,3-oxazinan-2-ones) and the participation of a low concentration of CO 2, indicating it has certain practicability.

Herein, we report light-promoted photo/hydrogen atom transfer dual catalysis for arylsilylation of alkenes via the radical-radical cross-coupling with diverse hydrosilanes, which provides a simple and efficient method to prepare various organosilicon compounds with a wide range of substrate scope and good functional group tolerance under transition-metal- and chemical-oxidant-free conditions. Furthermore, the arylsilylation of alkenes can also proceed via the possible electron donor-acceptor complex under exogenous photocatalyst-free conditions.

A new Co-catalyzed sequential C–C and C–F activation of gem -difluorinated cyclopropanes ( gem -FCPs) to form nucleophilic fluoroallylcobalt, followed by addition to aldehydes, is reported. The protocol features the regioselective cleavage of dual chemical bonds of readily available gem -FCPs to prepare easily separable linear ( Z )- and ( E )-fluorinated homoallylic alcohols with a broad scope. This discovery established a new strategy for the efficient transformation of gem -FCPs as well as the synthesis of challenging fluorinated homoallylic alcohols.